Car-coupling



(No Model.)

B. F.1'OHAVER.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 438,443. Patented 001;. 14, 1890.

- I 8440mm 2444444444 291442022. 471541451.-

ens co.. mqm-urnm, msnmnmn n c UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFicn.

EDWARD F. OHAVER, OF OARBONDALE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,443, dated October 14, 1890.

Application filed March 10, 1890.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. OHAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oarbondale, in the county of Jackson, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-couplings, and it is designed more particularly as an improvement upon my Patent No. 333,147.

I round the outer or lower end of the apron and curve it at the upper edge and provide it with wings or analogous provisions for the purpose of reducing friction and aiding in securely coupling on a curve. I provide springs adapted to hold. the apron in proper position with sufficient force to hold and carry into the mouth of the draw-head, and so construct it that the approaching draw-head pushes it back out of the way, and, as shown, as the cars are coupled the spring or springs force the apron into its normal position ready for coupling again.

Other objects and advantages of the invention hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appending claims, the novelty in the present instance residing in the peculiarities of construction and the combinations, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, so fully hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, and afterward claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of the specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts in vertical section, of my improved coupler. Fig. i is a bottom plan of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in both views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A represents a draw-head provided with the usual mouth a and vertical opening a of the coupling-pin.

B is the apron, the object of which is to take up the link from the opposite or approaching draw-head and conduct it into the mouth of the draw-head A. The lower end Serial No. 343,335. (No model.)

of this apron is rounded, as shown at Bin Fig. 2, to avoid sharp corners, which would tend to render it more liable to catch into and be injured by contact with the parts. This apron is provided with side ribs or wings B,- inclined, as shown, to reduce frictional contact-surface with the approaching parts, the upper ends of said wings being inclined toward the mouth of the draw-head, as shown at B in Fig. 1. Attached to the under side of the apron, which may or may not be reenforced by the ribs or sleeves B is the substantially U-shaped frame 0. The inner ends H are pivotally secured to the posts or screw- 4 bolts d, secured to the under side of the drawhead, the said frame 0 being provided on its parallel branches with the pending arms 0, to the lower ends of which are pivotally connected the rearwardly extending inclined arms E, the rear ends of which are connected with the cross-head F, which is sleeved upon and guided by the parallel longitudinal rods G, which are held in suitable bearings in posts or hangers G, depending from the under side of the draw-head, the ends of the rods being provided with suitable nuts g. To these rods between the cross-head F and the rear hangers G are sleeved coil-springs H.

In practice the parts are normally in posi tion in which they are shown in Fig. 1. As the approaching oar comes sufficiently near for its link to engage the apron the apron guides the link into the mouth of the drawhead A, and as the ears approach each other the apron is moved downwardly into a vertical position, the pivotal connections between the' apron and the cross-head permitting such movement, the springs being compressed by the draw-head, and the parts are thus held as long as the cars are coupled. As soon as the cars are coupled the. springs force the parts back into their normal position.

While I prefer the two rods and springs, as shown, it is evident that a single rod and spring arranged centrally may be employed with the same results and without departing from the spirit of the invention, and other minor details in construction may be resorted to, if desired.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with the draw-head, of the yielding inclined support and forwardlyinclined guiding-apron, the lengthwise-compressible compression springs moving on guides upon the under side of the draw-head, and pivotal connections between the springs and the apron, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the draw-head and the apron, of the bearings sleeved upon rods upon the under side of the draw-head and cross-head sliding on said rods to compress the bearings and pivotal connections between the head and the apron, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the draw-head and the parallel rods sustained beneath the same and the springs sleeved upon said rods, of a cross-head adapted to move upon said rods to compress the springs, the rearwardlyextending frame upon the under side of the apron and pivotally connected with the drawhead, and the pivotal connections between said frame and the cross-head, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the draw-head,

the parallel rods sustained from the under side thereof and the springs sleeved upon said rods, of the cross-head also sleeved upon said rods to compress the springs, the U- shaped frame attached to the under side of the apron and pivotally connected with the draw-head, a frame with downwardly-extending arms, and the rods pivotally connecting the lower ends of said arms with the crosshead, substantially as shown.

5. The combination, with the draw-head and the apron, of the arm 0, attached to the under side of the apron and pivotally conneoted at its rear ends with the underside of the draw-head, and having a depending part yieldingly connected with the draw-head, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD F. OHAVER.

Witnesses:

J OHN W. TOLER, WM. P. SLACK. 

